


I'm Sorry

by HomicidalHarley



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Comfort, Drama, Guilt, Hurt, Invasion, Poor Dickie, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Self-starving, Suicide, Wally Did Not Get Lost In The Speedforce In Here, batfamily, blame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-10-30 16:55:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 15,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10881027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HomicidalHarley/pseuds/HomicidalHarley
Summary: After the invasion, the team felt betrayed by Nightwing, despite the fact that his plan had worked and the Reach had been defeated. He was forced to resign from his position as leader and leave the team. He lost many things dear to him and didn't believe he has much to live for anymore.





	1. I'm Sorry

No sound was made as the crystal clear tears dripped from his chin and onto the plastic bottle of sleeping pills being held in between his nimble fingers.

 

 

> _"How could you keep this from us? Don't you trust us at all!?"_

> _"M'gann fried Kaldur's brain, she got taken hostage and all of them could have been exposed and killed! All because you don't trust us?"_

> _"No, I-"_
> 
> _"...Everyone who doesn't want Nightwing as the leader of this team, raise your hands."_

> _A brief raise of hands, except Kaldur and Artemis._

 

He bit his lip harshly, his vision blurring as he stared down at the white bottle in his hands. He reached forward, and turned the lid.

 

 

> _"You all really want this?"_
> 
> _He was met with quick, curt nods and a few hateful glares._

 

The pills inside the container were small and white.

Nightwing lifted one hand to reach inside and remove a few. It's amazing, he thought, how something so small could kill someone if swallowed in large quantities.

 

 

> _"Okay...from now on, I resign my position as leader and member of the team. Effective immediately."_

 

He turned the bottle in his hands so that he could get a look at the instructions on the back. 2 pills max.

 

 

> _"Good riddance. Traitor."_

 

Only 2? He tipped the container to the side, and let all the pills inside fall into his hand. That should be enough.

 

* * *

 

Quickened breathes could be heard as Wally hurried down the halls of the apartment building in Bludhaven, Artemis not far behind him. _'C'mon, C'mon! Don't do it, Dick!'_

 

**~Half An Hour Earlier~**

 

Wally clicked away at the TV remote boredly as he sat on the couch in the living room, Artemis's head tucked into the nook of his arm.

The two retired heroes turned their heads to the end table when Wally's phone rang. 

"Who could that be?" Artemis asked.

The speedster picked up the phone and read the caller ID:

 

**Dick Grayson**

 

He scoffed, and hung up. 

"Who was it...?" The blonde archer lifted her head from his arm.

"No one important."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Artemis."

The phone rang again.

This time, Artemis reached over to take the phone before Wally could. She accepted the call and put the device to her ear.

The retired Kid Flash watched her with a scowl, until she turned her head to look at him, the phone still pressed to her ear.

Her expression was twisted into that of horror,"Wally..."

 

* * *

 

Dick swallowed one pill, then looked down at the other 14 lying in his palm. One down, 14 to go.

 

 

> _"You lied to us! Made us think Kaldur betrayed us, just because you thought we couldn't keep a secret? We're all better off if you're not here!"_

 

He swallowed the second one, flinching when he felt it get stuck in the back of his throat. He took a sip of water to push it down.

 

 

> _"You want to send Artemis into the light? No way, Dick! We retired for a reason! Why do you have to mess this up for us?"_

 

Three down, 12 to go. He picked up another pill when he heard footsteps running down the hall.

 

 

> _"I hate you."_

 

The acrobat was about to put the fourth pill to his lips when someone started banging on the door,"Dick!"

 

_You're all better off without me..._

 

"Rob, C'mon! Open the door!"

 

_I'm sorry..._

 

He popped the pill into his mouth and sipped at the glass of water, eyes momentarily flicking to the domino mask on his bedside table.

He set the water down again, and reached for it, fingers lightly gripping the black and white material.

The loud yelling and banging didn't stop as the door slowly started giving in under the pressure.

Dick narrowed his eyes, and lifted his other hand to tip all the remaining pills into his mouth.

The young hero's grip on the dark material slowly loosened. The mask started falling to the floor.

Blue, dulling eyes watched the descent half-consciously, the life slowly flickering out of them as his lids drooped. He could hear the lock on the door starting to break.

 

_What happens when you die? Do you get to see your deceased loved ones again? Does the pain and suffering go away?_

_Would anyone be sad if he died? Would tomorrow have been a better day? Probably not._

 

The lean, starved body slowly fell back onto the bed just as the door gave in and burst open.

He could very faintly feel the sensation of hands touching his face and abdomen, the coldness of the hands being felt through the thin material of his blue nightshirt before his vision faded to black.

The last thing Nightwing heard was the choked voice of a certain speedster,"I forgive you..."

 

 


	2. Guilt

Wally stared tensely at the rising and falling chest of the dark-haired figure on the hospital bed.

Tonight was the first time the speedster had seen his former best friend in... _months_. He hadn't bothered to check in on the first Boy Wonder after he got kicked from the team.

He ignored every call from the vigilante, switched the channel on the TV whenever Nightwing was spoken of (Which had become rare in the last few months), and simply ignored Artemis whenever she said something about paying him a visit.

He hadn't felt bad about it, because everyone else was doing it too. Everyone.

He and Artemis had started regularly visiting the cave, and he would sometimes catch even Batgirl or Robin pressing the red button on a call with the name ' _Nightwing_ ' flashing on the screen. He was somewhat surprised that they were pissed at Nightwing too. He'd thought that they would side with him on the whole ' _keeping it a secret_ ' matter.

If Artemis hadn't picked up the phone this time...he didn't want to think about it. He'd have probably only found out that his best friend had committed suicide a month or two afterwards. He'd have felt so guilty...damn, he's _drowning_ in guilt right now.

The ginger-haired speedster moved to get up from his chair against the wall. He slowly made his way over to Dick's bedside.

The former Robin seemed almost as white as the sheets surrounding him on the thin, stiff mattress. So pale, so weak, so... _fragile_. He didn't look like the strong and fearless Nightwing in that moment. He looked...broken.

The words that Artemis had repeated back to him after the call still rang in the back of his head over and over again.

 

> _"I know KF doesn't want to hear it, but please tell him I'm sorry. I never got the chance to say it in person, but I really am. I was doing what I thought was right to keep everyone safe, but that turned out to be the wrong call. I know that my terrible plan had probably put everyone through a lot of pain, and I know I can never do anything to make up for it, but please...tell them I never meant to hurt anyone. Tell them...that it's okay, because they won't have to hear from me again after tonight. I won't be bothering you guys anymore..."_
> 
>  

Wally narrowed his eyes at the oxygen mask covering Dick's peaceful face. The next part is what made him wish he'd been a better friend during the last few months the most.

 

> _"I know it's probably a lot to ask, and I don't deserve your help, but could you maybe tell Bruce I'm sorry too...? He and I haven't been on good terms even since before he went off-world during the invasion. I haven't been able to get a hold of anyone on the team during the last few months, and I can understand why. I screwed up. I took advantage of their trust in me as team leader, and I know they hate me. Wally too. I know he's mad at me for pulling you guy's back into the chaos after you retired, and I'm really sorry. I won't lie...things aren't going really well for me here in Bludhaven. I really messed up here too. I just have a knack for that, don't I? But I guess I deserve it. Anyway, I'm probably taking up too much of your time, so I'll just hang up here...I'm sorry...for everything."_

 

He lifted his hands to grip the metal railing on the side of the bed. The railing that Dick's left wrist was currently strapped to. The doctors had decided that it would be best to restrain him, to keep him from trying to hurt himself when he woke up. He had just tried to commit suicide a few hours ago after all.

Green eyes glanced over to the clock on the far side of the room. Midnight. It had been about around 9 o'clock when they brought him into the hospital to get his stomach pumped, so he'd been here for around three hours. Strange. It felt so much longer.

Wally turned toward the door and let go of the railing when Artemis walked in, her expression serious, though it changed to pity as soon as her eyes rested on the figure occupying the bed.

"What did they say?" He asked, pulling the blonde archer's attention back. She answered after a moment of silence.

"He's going to make it-"

He sighed in relief.

"But..."

He quirked a brow,"But what?"

"They said he'll have to go live with someone close to him for a while. To get him back onto his feet...and to make sure he doesn't try this again. A psychiatrist has been assigned to pay weekly visits and see how he's doing. If he doesn't find someone to live with, he's gonna have to go live in a mental institute."

"Well...That's okay. He can come live with us. It's the least we- I mean...the least _I_ can do. I've been a poor excuse of a best friend during the last few months."

Artemis nodded, not arguing with that statement at all. She knew full-well that it was true. She shifted, and glanced back to the person on the bed. The person that she had come to love like a little brother.

"He's been starving himself..."

Wally froze,"What?"

"The doctors said that there had been next to nothing in his stomach when they pumped it. Apparently he hadn't eaten anything in quite a while...and when I say a while, I'm talking days, not hours."

Wally turned back to look at Dick. He was only noticing this now, but the young hero was a lot thinner than he remembered him to be a few months ago.

"This is my fault..."

Artemis huffed lightly, brows furrowing into an unhappy scowl,"Not just yours."

She turned around with a hand on her hip, long ponytail swinging with the swift movement. She made her way to the door and yanked it open like she was trying to rip it off it's hinges.

"Where are you going?" Wally turned his head back to watch her leave.

"I'm gonna go talk some sense into a group of stubborn, ungrateful brats."

"Want me to come with?"

"No."

Artemis glanced back at the speedster,"He's going to wake up soon. He needs you to be here when he does. I think he's been alone long enough, don't you?"

She didn't give him time to respond before she exited and shut the door behind her.

Wally sighed, and grabbed his chair, moving it closer so that he could sit right next to Dick's bed.

He reached out to gently take hold of the hand resting ontop of the white sheets, treating it like it could break at even the smallest of touches. Because right now...That's how fragile his best friend looked. How fragile he probably _was_. Mentally. He couldn't even imagine how the treatment they gave him after the invasion had made him feel. He probably felt terrible, guilty for something that had worked in the end and succesfully saved the world. He probably felt hated and worthless...

"I'm so sorry, Dick..."

That was all he could think to say to the unconscious hero lying on the bed. Someone who had suffered so much. Someone who hadn't deserved any of this.

 


	3. Sense

**_"Recognized: Artemis B-07."_ **

 

The team looked up when Artemis walked into the living room, her expression serious. She looked somewhat tense. And pissed.

"Hey Artemis. Are you okay?" M'gann asked from her place on the end of the couch, next to La'gaan. They were all sitting in a circle around the coffee table, seeming to have been socializing before the blonde heroine walked in.

Artemis didn't answer the question and looked around. The entire team was there, except for a certain duo,"Where are the other two?"

"Robin and Batgirl? They should be here so-" 

Almost as if on cue, the computer's monotonous, feminine voice interrupted the martian girl.

 

**_"Recognized: Batgirl B-16."_ **

**_"Recognized: Robin B-20."_ **

 

The two members of the batfamily soon entered the living room to come face to face with Artemis, her arms crossed over her chest and an angry scowl on her features as she turned to look at them.

Batgirl only raised an eyebrow whilst Robin visibly shivered under the intense stare,"What's going on?"

Her question was only met with a deeper scowl and an angry-sounding reply,"Sit. _Down_."

They wasted no time on asking more questions or protesting, and scampered over to the closest set of chairs in the room, immediately plopping down on them in fear of angering the archer further. They'd never seen her so pissed before. In fact, they'd never seen her angry before at all.

As soon as the two new occupants of the room were seated, the archer shifted to face the entire group again, making sure that her infuriated glare reached each and every one of them, except Kaldur, who was sitting on a chair against the wall on the other side of the room, watching the situation with a look of curiosity and concern. He had been one of the few people to stand up for Nightwing after the Invasion, so this was, of course, not directed at him.

"You're a bunch of jerks, you know that?"

The team of young heroes seemed rather confused with the accusation. 

Superboy was the first to speak up,"Why?"

Artemis scoffed lightly, "When was the last time any of you saw or talked to Nightwing?"

At this, La'gaan responded with a grunt and an irritated huff,"That's what this is abo-"

"Answer me." Artemis cut him off.

The group of teenagers shared uncertain looks with each other before Wondergirl spoke up, her voice sounding somewhat fearful and tiny,"None of us have talked to him since he quit the team."

"You mean since you kicked him off." The archer quipped.

La'gaan made a negative noise with his tongue, "That traitor doesn't deserve to be on this team. He lied to us. Used us."

"He saved the _world_ , mind you. His plan worked, didn't it? The Reach was defeated. Earth is safe again. Isn't that all that matters?"

"No-"

"Besides, if you're so pissed at him just because of the plan, then where's our fair share of the blame?" Artemis motioned towards herself and Kaldur,"We were in on it too, not just Nightwing."

"Yeah, but-" La'gaan begun, but was yet again cut off.

"You newbies have no right to be mad. Connor and M'gann, I understand, but you? No way. You've barely been on this team long enough for Nightwing to actually be a 100% sure that you can be trusted, or that you won't blow it the minute you're put under pressure. He had to think about our safety. If our cover had been blown because one of you slipped up, we would've been killed. The fewer people who knew, the better."

This seemed to have left La'gaan without a reply, and he merely looked away with a light sound of disapproval. 

M'gann was the next to voice her thoughts,"Then why did he keep it from _us_? His _friends_? I put Kaldur into a coma because I thought-"

"How was he supposed to know that would happen? Look, he made an honest mistake. He did was he thought was best, and kept the burden of keeping such a big secret off your shoulders. As I said, his main concern was our safety, as it should be, not whether or not your feelings will get hurt as soon as you find out. He didn't tell you about Kaldur's fake betrayal or my fake death, because he wanted you to fight like you normally would, and you _did_. Be honest, if you had known about us, you would've held back, and that would've drawn suspicion onto us. He already felt bad enough for not telling you. You didn't have to treat him like you did after the Invasion."

M'gann's gaze slowly shifted to the floor afterwards, her mind seeming to ponder on her friend's words for a moment. Connor also seemed to be thinking it over.

The room was completely silent for a moment, before La'gaan spoke up again, seeming determined to prove Nightwing's guilty for _something_.

"What about you and Wally?"

"What about us?" Artemis raised a curious eyebrow.

Connor seemed to catch on to Lagoon Boy's point and continued for him, "You two went into retirement. You were happily living a _normal_ life, and he came and dragged you out of it, making you fake your death and go into the light. Why didn't he just fake his own death instead of going and putting you in danger?"

Artemis sighed lightly. This one, she had thoroughly thought through,"You all keep forgetting that he gave me a choice. He asked nicely. He didn't force me to fake my death. Or force me to come back to the team. That was all on _my own_. His reasons for picking me are pretty sound. You were all already pretty shaken up with Kaldur's betrayal and Aquagirl's death, so he didn't want to put you through an unnecessary amount of pain. None of you newbies-" She motioned to all the non-original members of the team,"- knew me long enough for my death to hurt you as badly as it would if it was M'gann, or Connor, or even _you_." She pointed at Lagoon Boy, who silently sunk back in his seat under the tense stares that were now directed at him.

Artemis dropped her hand back to her side, before continuing with a soft sigh,"The next point, is what brings me to you two." She turned to face Batgirl and Robin,"The two I'm the most disappointed in."

The two members of the batfamily glanced at each other out of the corners of their eyes before looking back to the archer, waiting for her to continue.

"Nightwing didn't fake his own death, not only because the death of a leader after another one's betrayal would had disoriented the team even more, he stayed because of you two. Especially _you_." She shifted to focus on Tim, who tried his best to avoid her gaze,"With everything that was already happening at the time, Batman going off-world, Gotham being yours _and_ his responsibility, Joker and four other supervillians breaking out of Arkham, the invasion, Kaldur's betrayal _and_ your membership to this team, he figured that putting his death on top of that tall tower of problems would have toppled it over. His first choice _was_ to fake his own death, but he decided not to, because he was thinking about you."

She turned back to face the team again,"You all say he was he was being selfish, only thinking about himself. You say he's turned into _Batman_ , that he always puts the mission before his friends, but throughout this whole ordeal, he was thinking about the well-being of each and every one of you, and the fate of the world at the same time."

She finished off with that. She had a lot more to say, but judging by the guilty looks on most of their faces, her message seemed to have gotten through.

Barbara looked up a moment later, her voice laced with regret as she spoke,"Why are you confronting us about this now?"

Artemis hesitated for a moment, then let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding,"Nightwing purposely overdosed on sleeping pills tonight. He tried to commit suicide."

A lot of sharp intakes of breathes and a few gasps could be heard throughout the room at that moment, the look of guilt seeming to reach all their faces now. Even La'gaan, who had been stubborn enough to scoff up until now, had a remorseful expression adorning his fish-like face.

"Did..." Everyone turned their heads to look at Tim, who had his head hung low, his voice cracking as he spoke,"Did he...did he succeed?"

Artemis let a sympathetic frown cross her lips when she heard the fear being reflected in the third Robin's cracking voice,"No...he's in Bludhaven general right now. Wally and I got there right after he took the pills, and managed to get him to the hospital in time. He's okay...but he hasn't woken up yet."

"How did you know he was trying to commit suicide?" Kaldur asked after having been silent the whole time.

"We...got a phone call from him before that, saying he's sorry and...well basically, he apologised for existing. He's not well. I think you all owe him a heartfelt, _honest_ apology after all this. I'll make sure to bring him around to the cave once he's back on his feet, but you two-" She motioned to Barbara and Tim with a pointed look,"-You're coming with me."


	4. Chapter 4

_**Beep...beep...beep...** _

A high-pitched, repeating sound that closely matched Dick's heartbeat, was slowly pulling the 19-year old from the darkness.

' _Did it work?_ ' He briefly wondered as he opened his eyes, immediately squinting when he was met with a bright, white light blaring down on him.

' _Did I actually take my own life...?'_

As he slowly became more aware of his surroundings and his vision focused enough for him to be able to tolerate the bright light, he realized that his head was aching.

' _Wait...I'm in pain?'_

He furrowed his brows, and turned his head to the side. The first thing he saw was a bright, red line jumping up and down on a black screen, the beep sounding every time it jumped. It didn't take long for the vigilante to realize that it was a heart monitor.

' _I'm in the hospital...? I failed...?'_

"I'm so sorry, so sorry, sorry..."

Dick blinked lightly when he heard a familiar voice quietly mumbling apologies over and over again. He turned his head to the other side to see none other than Wally sitting right next to his bed, head hung low and hands fidgeting as he mumbled.

"K...F...?"

Wally's head snapped up at the weak voice, and Dick was surprised to see a few small tears running down the speedster's face.

The retired hero immediately stood up, the chair falling back and hitting the floor with a loud thud, causing the boy in the bed to flinch due to the sound aggravating his sharp headache.

The guilty expression on Wally's face only deepened when he saw his best friend flinch,"Sorry, bro..."

Dick didn't voice a reply and was about to use his hands to push himself up into a sitting position, when he realized both his wrists were strapped to the metal railings attached to the sides of the bed. He furrowed his brows in confusion.

"The doctors are scared you'll hurt yourself..." Wally mumbled softly, watching his friend with concern.

Dick stared at the thick straps for another few seconds before using the leverage to pull himself up into a sitting position, not uttering a single word.

Wally bit his lip harshly and moved forward to grab a few pillows from the cart a nurse left behind. He still remembered the look of pity she sent his way after she finished strapping Dick down to the bed. He pushed the white pillows in behind the raven-haired vigilante so that he had something to lean back against, but he just stayed hunched over, his black bangs hanging over his face as he stared at a space in his lap.

"Dick..." Wally made sure the pillows were secure before sitting back down on the chair right next to the bed,"Hey..."

Nightwing just kept his head down, still staring at his lap. He remained quiet, giving the speedster no response.

"Dick...'Wing, c'mon. Talk to me. Say something. Anything." Wally tried again, hoping to wring some response out of the dark-haired male.

That's when Dick lifted his head a little, but his gaze now shifted to the wall a few feet in front of his bed.

"...I failed."

His voice was cracked, hoarse and barely above a whisper, but Wally heard it.

He raised a brow in confusion,"Failed at what?" After hearing the one word that left his friend's mouth next, Wally could've sworn that his heart had stopped and the air has been sucked out of his lungs.

"Dying..."

"No. You didn't fail at anything. You survived. You kept on living. You _succeeded_."

"I wanted to die."

The words were stated so bluntly, like Dick thought it didn't make Wally's stomach churn with guilt and regret when he heard it. And yet, all he could say, or ask, was,"Why?"

"Why not...?"

"Dick."

"I have nothing to live for anymore...I lost my family and friends because I lied to them and put them through so much pain. I lost my job as a cop because I can't concentrate at work anymore. I let an innocent man die just because I couldn't hold a damn gun steady. I'm no longer welcome at the manor or the batcave because I screwed up there too and lost the only father-figure I've had after my parents died. Nightwing is no longer welcome in Bludhaven because I severed my barely established truce with the police after an incident. My apartment is being seized in a week because I can't pay the rent anymore, and I'm...I'm _tired_."

Dick let his head hang low again, his binded hands gripping the metal railing so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Wally merely stayed quiet and listened, letting his friend spill all his problems out, even though it only added onto his guilt. Dick really blamed himself for everything. Barely a second or two passed before he continued.

"You all want me gone anyway..."

_'Okay. That stung.'_

"I don't deserve to live..."

_'Oh Dick...you deserve that, and so much more.'_

"Everyone would just be better off if I was dead. No one would notice."

_'Everyone would notice.'_

"No one would care."

_'Everyone would care.'_

"Some might even be happy."

_'Everyone would be devastated.'_

"Everyone hates me anyway..."

Wally's face was contorted in remorse as he watched the broken hero sitting on the bed in front of him. How bad did the pain he went through the last few months have to be for him think like this?

He lifted a hand and reached out to gently touch Dick's shoulder. It was meant as a gesture of comfort, but Dick only flinched away, allowing the speedster to briefly catch a glimpse of the face he had been hiding by staring down at his lap for the last few minutes. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked so close to tears.

The speedster slowly retracted his hand, resulting in Dick relaxing a bit. He went back go looking down at his lap.

"...'Wing?"

Dick stayed completely still and silent.

"Dick, _look_ at me."

The vigilante slowly lifted his head to meet Wally's green eyes for a moment. He didn't utter a word.

Wally leaned forward in his chair and stared at his best friend with a serious look in his eye,"I need you to listen, and I need you to listen closely. _No one_ wants you dead. _No one_ hates you. _No one_ would be happy if you died. In fact, if Artemis and I didn't get there in time tonight, and you died..." He shivered at the mere thought," _Many_ people would have been upset. Many people would have cried. Many people would mourn."

"But-"

"No. Let me finish. Yeah, the team felt betrayed. Yeah, they were mad at you. But no, they don't hate you. You saved the world, Dick. Your reasons for keeping everything a secret are sound and they have no reason to hate you. They were wrong for treating you like they did."

Wally bit his lip with a soft sigh, and looked at the floor,"But I guess I can't say that I'm any less guilty. After the invasion, I just went along with the group and blamed everything that went wrong on you. I guess I was still miffed about Artemis agreeing to go into the light after you asked."

He scoffed lightly, and lifted his head again to meet the cerulean-blue eyes staring back at him,"Some best bud I am..."

Dick's expression softened,"Wally..."

"I'm so sorry, Dick. I really am...I..." He sighed and ran a hand through his ginger hair,"I can't even begin to make up for how bad of a friend I've been, and I'm so so sorry for that."

"KF...it's okay."

"No it's not." Wally stood up from the chair again, this time making sure not to push it too hard to make it fall over. He reached forward to unlock the latches on the tight straps binding his friend's wrists.

"Won't you get in trouble for doing that...?" Dick asked as he watched the speedster take the straps off before tossing them onto a nearby tray.

"Probably. But I don't care." Wally plopped back down in the chair as Dick rubbed at the red marks on his wrists and leaned back against the soft mountain of pillows behind him.

The former Kid Flash leaned forward and rested his arms on the mattress, briefly remembering a question that had popped into his head when he saw several containers of medicine standing on Dick's dresser when they rushed him out of his apartment to get to the hospital.

"Hey Rob...?" He asked, using the hero's former nickname without even thinking about it.

"Yeah...?" His voice was still soft and a little hoarse, but he sounded better than before.

"Why did you have so much medicine in your room?"

"Most of them were things that helped me sleep. I have insomnia..."

"And the rest...?"

"Narcotics."

"Painkillers?"

Dick nodded.

"For what?"

The former Robin bit his lip,"Stomach pains, frequent headaches...things like that..."

Wally's face dawned with understanding,"Because you were starving yourself...?"

Dick remained quiet, and Wally let another sigh leave his lips,"You scared me half to death tonight, man..."

"I'm sorry..."

"You're not the one who needs to apologise. Artemis left half an hour ago so there should be a long line of people waiting to apologise to you by now."

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

Dick and Wally's attention were drawn when the door was pushed open and Artemis entered, Batgirl and Robin following close behind, both in civvies.

The two froze as soon as they walked in, simply staring at their fellow batfamily member as he stared right back at them. 

Barely a minute of silence had passed before Tim shot forward faster than any of them could react.

Dick's eyes widened in surprise when the young boy practically jumped onto the bed and burrowed into the bedridden vigilante's chest, his head pressing against the crook of Dick's neck as he held onto his older brother for what seemed to be dear life.

As soon as he recovered from the shock, Dick gently, but somewhat hesitantly wrapped his arms around his little brother's quivering frame. 

"Why...?"

Tim tightened his grip on the vigilante as he practically choked the single word out, his voice causing a guilty wave to wash over Dick.

"I'm sorry, Timmy..." He whispered in response, resting his chin on top of the younger Robin's head.

"No."

His gaze flicked up when Barbara spoke, his cerulean blue eyes following her movements as she walked over to his side and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, momentarily making him tense,"...we're sorry."

Dick furrowed his brows slightly, and Barbara seemed to catch onto his confusion,"Artemis explained to us why you did what you did, and it all makes perfect sense. We're sorry for the way we- I treated you after the invasion. You didn't deserve any of that..."

A faint smile gently tugged at the corners of Dick's lips and he found himself slowly relaxing under her touch,"It's fine, Babs. I get why you guys reacted that way..."

Barbara bit her lip and gently rubbed Nightwing's shoulder as Tim lifted his head up, slowly blinking in an obvious attempt to keep the tears back,"What happens now...?"

Wally spoke up, seeing as Dick hadn't been informed of the arrangements,"Dick's going to be staying with us for a while."

Tim furrowed his brows at this, his expression now portraying confusion,"Why?"

"Well...it's either that or the hospital puts him in a mental institute. They're not gonna let a suicide victim off the hook like that. One of the doctors that I spoke to earlier already arranged for a therapist to come pay weekly visit-"

"I don't need a therapist." Dick interrupted, an unimpressed frown adorning his lips.

Wally merely sighed,"Sorry, bro. It's already been decided."

Tim spoke again before his older brother could protest,"Can't he come live at the manor again? It's a lot bigger and-"

"No."

The third Robin looked surprised when Dick shot his idea down. He gave the elder Robin a questioning look, but he soon remembered why he would refuse this.

"I don't think Bruce would want me there, Timmy..."

This statement made the boy's blood boil,"Who cares what Bruce wants? I want you there. Alfred wants you to come home too. Even the demon spawn misses you, whether he'll admit it or not."

Wally visibly rolled his eyes in amusement at Tim's nickname for the latest member of the Batfamily.

He hadn't had the privilege of meeting Damian in person yet, but seeing as Tim had constantly been complaining about his new little brother's attitude every time he came to the cave during the last year, he had a pretty good idea of what the kid's personality was like.

The speedster decided to step in when Dick flinched at the mentiom of Damian. Damn, they probably haven't seen or heard from each other since Batman practically banned Nightwing from the manor and Batcave.

"Sorry, but I've already given our address to the hospital as his temporary place of residence. It'll take a lot of paperwork to change it now." Wally lied, almost smiling at the grateful look he got from his best friend.

As expected from the blue bird, seeing as his last fight with Batman had ended on a nasty note.

It didn't help his case either that the Dark Knight didn't seem impressed when he got back after the invasion to find that Nightwing had saved the world, but got himself kicked from the team.

The former Kid Flash had been there when Batman debriefed the team after Nightwing left the Watch Tower.

As soon as the words 'What happened?' left his mouth, the team had immediately started bombarding him with everything their former leader had done wrong, some spinning ridiculous stories about his secretive actions and completely disregarding the whole Saving The World part whilst drowning out Kaldur and Artemis's voices of reason.

Wally remembered how he just stood by and listened as Batman's already damaged view of Nightwing was completely destroyed. He remembered the faint look of disappointment on the cowled vigilante's face when he was repeatedly told of all the first Robin's wrong-doings and mistakes. 

Wally knew, from how close he used to be to the Batfamily, that Batman did everything in his power to make sure his protégé's didn't end up like him, and the team was making it sound like Nightwing would have put them directly into the line of fire if it was needed to complete the mission (Not that Batman would actually do this to his own team, despite his own beliefs.)

Batman didn't seem surprised, angry or anything when he was told of Nightwing's resignation from the team. He just nodded and praised the young heroes for a job well-done before turning to leave via the Zeta tubes, and nothing made Wally more angry at this moment than that.

Tim gave a light nod of understanding, then seemingly squeezed the life out of Dick one more time before moving to hop off the bed, giving Barbara a chance to quickly embrace the bedridden hero as well.

"We'll talk to Bruce..." She said softly, patting his back in a comforting motion before pulling away.

"No, wait Babs-" Dick tried to protest but got cut off.

"He needs to know, Dick-"

The third Robin turned to face Artemis as Dick tried to talk Barbara out of telling Bruce about this mess,"Will we be allowed to visit?"

The archer's lips quirked up into a soft smile,"Of course."


	6. Chapter 6

The hospital released Dick only a few hours later, after a nurse had scolded Wally for undoing the straps, drilled all the possible things that could have happened into his head and a doctor spoke privately to Dick about his suicide attempt (throughout which he had been rather unresponsive).

Wally and Artemis gladly took the young hero home with them as soon as all the necessary paperwork had been filled out.

Barbara had reluctantly agreed not to give word about his suicide attempt to Bruce, or Damian, for that matter (much to his relief).

But that didn't stop Tim from telling Alfred...which lead to Dick standing on Wayne Manor's front doorstep only three days later. He still didn't know how he got talked into doing this.

He honestly didn't think he'd ever see this place again. Well, at least not so soon. The last time he was here was a little under a year ago, after he and his former mentor had their last argument and he got kicked out. Wow, time sure passed by fast. It felt like it happened just the day before.

Now that he thought about it, he hadn't actually seen either Alfred or Damian since then. 

Yeah, the elderly butler called every few weeks to see how he's doing, sometimes even putting the little assassin he so dearly loved on the phone to give them a chance to catch up (even if Dick was always the one doing the most of the talking whilst Damian merely responded with one-worded replies or incoherent noises of interest), but he hadn't seen either of them face-to-face in such a long time.

He knew he should be excited now that he'd be able to see at least one of them again, but quite strangely, just the thought felt nerve-wracking for unknown reasons.

He visibly flinched when he felt a hand on his arm, and turned to look at Tim, who had been standing beside him the whole time whilst he was having his little internal battle with himself on whether or not to go through with this.

The third Robin picked up on the other's anxious posture quite fast, and squeezed Dick's arm in a reassuring manner,"It's just Alfred, Dick. Don't worry. Bruce is still at Wayne Tower, last I checked. It'll be fine."

"Yeah, I know..." Dick let a soft sigh leave his lips as Tim slid his key into the lock and turned, allowing the heavy double-doors of the monstrously large house to swing open with a low creak one they were pushed.

The entrance hall of the manor was still exactly the way he remembered it; squeaky clean and fancy with almost nothing out of place. He wondered how Alfred still managed to take such good care of this place in his old age. He really deserved a raise.

Dick tugges his blue, medium-sleeved shirt down a bit to get rid of some of the wrinkles as they stepped through the wooden doorway. He ran his other hand through his messy, black hair with a hopeless expression adorning his fair features.

He wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion, seeing as Tim had come to the apartment rather early that morning to drag him out of bed, resulting in him currently sporting a casual V-neck shirt, black flip-flops, a pair of navy jeans and a bedhead.

The loud clatter of metal hitting the marble floor drew Dick's attention to the kitchen door, where he saw Alfred standing with empty, outstretched hands, a silver tray surrounded by caramel-chip cookies, lying at his feet.

Tim immediately moved, kneeling down to pick up the discarded treats and replace them in the tray.

Dick stepped forward to help, but was halted in his steps when Alfred took hold of his wrist,"Master Dick..."

The blue-eyed vigilante glanced up to meet the elderly man's earnest eyes, a strong wave of guilt washing over him when he realized how worried the butler must have been,"Alfred, I-"

He cut himself off when Alfred stepped forward and enveloped him in an unexpected hug. The embrace was soft, tender and felt almost non-existent due to the older man's frail frame, but the warm sensation made up for it, almost immediately washing away the anxiety that plagued Dick's mind when he entered.

Barely a moment had passed before he gently wrapped his own strong arms around the butler, briefly catching Tim's knowing smile out of the corner of his eye.

It was strange, he realized. He was being careful not to hug Alfred too tight in fear of hurting him, but at the same time, it felt like the butler was holding him in such a way that it made him feel like he was the most fragile glass statue in the world; as if he would shatter the minute too much pressure was put on his shoulders.

He guessed he shouldn't be surprised, seeing as everyone had been treating him that way since he left the hospital. Always walking on egg-shells around him, choosing their words carefully when they speak in fear of triggering him or something, constantly asking if he's eating enough, sometimes slipping sleeping medication into his food when he does eat, always...the list goes on. 

He'd only actually come in contact with Wally, Artemis, Tim and Barbara since the incident, but he guessed that everyone else would treat him the same way as soon as they get to see him.

He knew they were only doing those things out of worry for his health. He knew they only did it because they cared, but it wasn't helping him improve at all. In fact, he'd much rather go back to being hated than have everyone treat him like an unstable patient at a mental institute who could snap at any moment. 

He soon felt the butler's arms removing themselves from his body, and slowly pulled his own two limbs back to his side.

Alfred took a step to the right before ushing him into the kitchen with Tim and they tray of cookies following suit.

The two Robins sat down at the small table in the middle of the large room as Alfred made his way over to the kettle situated next to the oven,"Some hot coco, Master Dick?"

"That'd be great, Alfred."

"I want some too!" A loud clanking noise was heard as the third Robin plopped the silver tray down on the wooden surface of the table, immediately helping himself to a few cookies.

He soon offered one to Dick, but the elder Robin politely refused, earning himself a pointed look from Alfred,"Master Dick. Are my cookies not to your liking anymore?"

"Ah, no Alfred. I just..." Dick sighed in defeat when he received a mere raised brow from the older man, and accepted the cookie Tim was holding out to him. He slowly bit into the caramel-flavored treat, relaxing when Alfred turned back to the kettle with a faint smile.

He was slightly thankful for the butler not bringing anything about his suicide attempt up. Good ol' Alfred. Always acting like everything's alright, like the boy sitting merely a few feet away from him hadn't tried to end his own life only a few days earlier. To be honest...That's what he loved the most about the elderly man.

This current scene right here; hot coco, cookies and a gathering of birds around the kitchen table...it felt so familiar. So... _normal_. 

Alfred made it feel like everything was okay, like he'd never left and this routine of theirs happened on a daily basis. He felt at home. The only two things missing from this scene was Damian...and Bruce, of course, but he was content by now with knowing that it most-likely would never happen again.

A soft thud pulled Dick from his thoughts as Alfred set the cup of hot coco down in front of him. The gentle aroma of the milky beverage reached his nose and he couldn't help but smile,"Thanks, Alfie."

He received a mere nod and a kind smile in response, which was enough to push away the sad, nostalgic thoughts currently clouding his mind.

He picked the cup up and leaned back in the seat, quietly sipping at the chocolaty milk as Tim busied himself with dipping cookies in his own cup.

The three occupants of the kitchen looked toward the door when the soft steps of someone coming down the stairway caught their attention.

A few seconds later, a dark head stuck itself into the kitchen doorway, its expression grouchy and seemingly annoyed,"Drake, those cookies are mine!"

"I didn't see you making them," Tim immediately gathered all the treats in his arms and dumped them into his shirt,"Come and get em'!"

Damian pushed out an irritated growl and stepped into the kitchen with the intent of murdering the current Robin right then and there, but he stopped in his tracks when he finally noticed the blue-eyed man sitting on the other end of the table.

The murderous expression on his face quickly morphed into something else,"...Grayson?"


	7. Chapter 7

"Hey, Dami..."

A soft, almost sad-looking smile slowly formed on Dick's lips as he observed Damian from head to toe. The boy hadn't changed much since the last time they met face-to-face. Sure, he seemed to be about half an inch taller, but not much else was noticeably different.

The short assassin stayed frozen in the doorway for a good minute before finally shooting forward in the blue bird's direction, intent on getting the cookies from Tim now completely gone.

Dick let out a startled 'umgf!' sound when Damian barrelled into his side, successfully managing to throw him onto the cold kitchen floor with an angry growl.

The blue-eyed vigilante was still trying to get his bearings together when he felt a small hand fisting his wrinkled shirt and roughly pulling his head off the floor by his collar. He could feel a light warmth settling on his stomach, where Damian had landed on top of him.

"Grayson."

The name was spat out with a false sense of venom this time. Dick merely sighed.

"You haven't answered any of my calls in two months, but you had the audacity to actually visit Drake in person?!"

The eldest Robin gingerly pried at the at the hand clutching his shirt, but Damian had an iron grip on the cerulean material,"Little D, I can explain-"

"I will behead you if you call me that again."

"....Little D."

"Grayson." The boy's voice had dropped to a dangerous tone.

"Fine, fine. Just, let go of my shirt, will you?"

Damian reluctantly loosened his grip on his older brother's shirt, but stayed firmly seated on his stomach, preventing him from sitting upright.

Dick sighed yet again and lifted his arms to take hold of the demon spawn by his waist, earning an embarrassed 'hey!' from the light boy as he lifted him off of his abdomen with ease.

He set Damian down on the ground beside him with an amused chuckle, pulling his hands back when the assassin grabbed at them to remove them from his waist,"You're still as light as a feather, Dami. Is Alfred not feeding you?"

He glanced in the butler's direction to see the elderly man shaking his head with a soft smile. Damian scoffed and crossed his arms with a scowl,"I am eating just fine and my weight is exactly where it should be."

"Doesn't feel like it-"

"Shut up."

Dick didn't retort again and reached out to gently ruffle Damian's hair, an action that the assassin would allow, for now,"You have grown about an inch though."

Damian kept silent as Dick's hand stilled on top of his head, consciously observing the other's physical appearance,"You look thinner," He commented, instantly noticing how the older boy stiffened at the words. Did he say something wrong?

The assassin's lips tilted down into a half-frown as Dick pulled his hand back, obviously forcing the care-free smile that Damian knew so well onto his face. Something was wrong.

"I do? Must be because I've been cutting back on junk food the last few months. Glad to know it's doing some good." His voice was slightly strained as he spoke, which set all the red alarms in Damian's head off.

The young boy was about to ask what was wrong, when Alfred chipped into their little interaction.

"Master Damian. I advise that you get off of the kitchen floor. Your clothes are getting smudged by the flour Master Tim spilled this morning," He got a light huff from the third Robin.

Damian threw a glare in Tim's direction before moving to get up from the floor, wiping the white flour off of his pants as Dick followed suit.

He felt a warm mug being pushed into his hands as soon as he was done, which lead him to reluctantly thank Alfred and sip at the hot chocolate. He fortunately missed the brief thankful look Dick threw Alfred's way after the little assassin's mind had strayed off their current topic.

The four members of the batfamily then took their respective seats around the small table, Damian making sure to sit as close to Dick as possible, whilst glaring at Tim, who was seated on the blue bird's other side with the cookies still buried in his shirt. Alfred had taken a seat opposite of the three birds.

"Drake, give me a cookie."

"You sure you want them? They're in my shirt, brat."

"Guys, really..." Dick leaned back in his chair as the two descended into a full-blown argument. He missed this so much.

The loud yelling from Tim and Damian drowned out the sound of the front doors opening and closing, which didn't give Dick much time to react before a certain billionaire stepped through the doorway and everyone froze.

Time seemed to stand still for Dick, as his former mentor caught his gaze and his expression went blank. Tim and Damian had immediately stopped quarrelling and were now silently sitting on either sides of the table, each unconsciously moving closer to the eldest Robin as the two former partners stared each other down.

Bruce didn't say anything. He just stood there, face expressionless as he adjusted the checkered tie he wore with the business suit he always went to work in. Neither of them uttered a word. They just kept their eyes locked for a minute or two, and nothing made Dick more anxious than that.

"I...I should go." He said, his voice soft and monotonous as he moved to stand up from the chair.

Tim and Damian both moved to grab one of his wrists,"No-"

"It's fine, guys," Dick gently shook them off and glanced up to meet Bruce's emotionless gaze again,"I shouldn't have come."

"Dick, wait-" Tim stood up, the cookies falling from his shirt, but he didn't seem to care,"We should-"

"No, Tim..." He knew what the boy was going to say. He was going to suggest that they tell Bruce about his suicide, in some twisted hope of making the man have _pity_ on him, in some twisted hope of making the man allow him to stay...but he knew that wouldn't work.

Really, if anything, it'll just make the billionaire playboy look down on him more. It'll make him not only unworthy of his mentor's praise, but also...weak in Bruce's eyes, and he didn't want that on top of the tower of problems between them.

He would most-likely just see Dick's suicide as a whiny orphan trying to end his own life because he's too much of a coward to face his problems. He wouldn't try to put himself in Dick's shoes. He wouldn't even listen when he tries to explain how difficult his life had been for months on end.

He wouldn't care, because Nightwing was one of Batman's biggest failures. He knew that. Well, besides Red Hood, but that's a different story.

Dick moved away from the table and headed to the door, narrowly brushing past Bruce, who didn't make a move to stop him from leaving.

No one said a thing. No one moved. Just the three sitting at the table flinched when the doors in the entrance hall slammed shut.

Damian's grip on his mug tightened as he looked back to the empty seat next to him. He narrowed his eyes, letting out an angry grunt before shoving his chair back and getting up from the table.

He left his hot coco on the wooden surface and forcefully pushed past the vigilante standing at the door, making sure to elbow the man in the side, which sadly, didn't seem to do much.

Alfred and Tim shared glances as the assassin loudly stomped up the stairs to his bedroom, and Bruce turned to head in the direction of his study.

This couldn't go on any longer.

 


	8. Chapter 8

The night air was cool and breezy as Dick quietly sauntered down the deserted sidewalk of a busy street in Gotham.

Most of this corrupted city's citizens knew by now that the safest way to travel at night was by car, and one of the quickest ways to get yourself jumped or _killed_ is to walk along the lonely sidewalks baring the entrance to a sketchy alleyway every few feet.

Dick knew, just by the looks some civilians shot at him from within the comfortable safety of their car as they drove by, that he was thought to be crazy for walking along the street like it was some sort of peaceful stroll, alone.

He could tell, by some of the dirty looks, that a few of the passing cars' passengers thought him to be one of nocturnal criminals himself. Not that he could blame them, seeing as his messy hair, non-matching clothes, and flip-flops probably made him look like a homeless person to the upperclass citizens driving by in limousines.

To be honest, he really couldn't care less about appearances, but right now, he really wished he had brought a coat along to Wayne Manor that morning. He forgot how cold Gotham got at night ( _not that he had actually planned to be out this long_ ).

Dick's teeth involuntarily chattered, and he instinctively rubbed his arms when a cold wind brushed past him, resulting in him halting in his steps. _Damn_ , it was cold.

He glanced up to look at the pavement in front of him again, briefly catching a glimpse of a small group of bandana-baring young adults making their own way down the sidewalk, seeming care-free as some of them wielded a pocket knife between their fingers. They looked like rookie gangsters to the young hero, but he couldn't be sure.

Still, just incase, and to avoid an unnecessary struggle, Dick shifted and ducked into the alleyway next to him, somewhat hoping that he hadn't been seen.

He knew he shouldn't be out on the streets like this at night, even with his vigilante expertise and training. He didn't have his suit, his gadgets, or any means of calling for back-up if anything went wrong or he hit a snag that he can't get himself out of. He had stupidly forgotten his phone on his nightstand that morning, just to add onto his lack of resources at the moment.

He knew this was dangerous, especially in Gotham, but he wasn't ready to go back to Wally's apartment. Not yet anyway, even if the ginger and his girlfriend were probably getting worried due to his absence...or not.

In fact, he's probably been nothing but a burden to them since- agh, no.

Dick flicked himself against the forehead. He can't start thinking like that again. He and Wally talked about this, but his silent encounter with Bruce this morning had thrown him off his previously steady road to recovery, and he was starting to remember what put him into depression in the first place; what made him think he wasn't _needed_.

His sense of self-worth and heart had already started cracking when Batman practically disowned Nightwing. Not that he actually ever really owned him, seeing as Bruce never officially signed the adoption papers, which worked perfectly to help with the blue bird's newly developed sense of self-loathing and feeling of _not being good enough_.

It had been quite a few hours since he left Wayne Manor. It was now...what, 9 pm? And he left the manor around...11 am? He honestly couldn't remember.

Dick had managed to get himself so lost in thought whilst standing against the wall in the alley, that he barely noticed a shadowy, slightly hunched figure creeping up beside him from behind the smelly dumpster situated at the end of the alleyway.

The five-member gang from earlier passed by obliviously as the vigilante felt the firing end of a gun being pressed against his head.

The raven-haired hero stiffened when the cold metal pressed against his temple, mentally scolding himself for acting so carelessly in an alley, in Gotham.

"Aye~ I wasn't expectin' te' see t'his 'ere~" The voice obviously belonged to a male, and it had quite an accent shining through that made the person sound like a pirate to Dick. He resisted the urge to snicker at this thought, so as to not piss off the guy holding a gun to his head, and glanced at the criminal out of the corner of his eye.

It was an old man, seemingly entering the late stages of his sixties. He was wearing what looked to be a torn, grey poncho, a pair of worse-for-wear boots, and shredded, loose jeans. Okay, compared to this guy, Richard looked like a model auditioning for a hot mess magazine.

He glanced up at the geezer's wrinkly face, which adorned an unkept, overgrown beard. He momentarily found himself imagining all the kinds of things a person could hide in that grey, hairy jungle, not noticing when the bastard observed him from head to toe,"Ya los', pre'ty boy?"

He pressed the gun harder against his temple, making Dick flinch in pain. He could easily reach up and snatch the weapon away, but the elder's shaky finger was already resting on the trigger and any movement made now could earn him a quick bullet to the head.

The criminal leaned in closer to the blue bird's face,"Ya' know," Dick nearly groaned when the guy's breath brushed past his nose. It wreaked,"If ya' come wit' me, I can-"

The man was ripped away from Dick with such a force that it made him drop the gun with a soft thud,"Sorry, asshole. He's not going anywhere with you."

The blue-eyed vigilante watched the weapon fall to the ground before lifting his head in time to see a shadowy figure holding his own pistol up against the bastard's forehead, gloved hand gripping the criminal's arm to keep him in place.

The figure pressed its finger onto the pistol's trigger, and Dick was about to step forward to stop him, only to freeze when he heard the gun going off.

He flinched, and closed his eyes out of instinct, but heard no body dropping to the ground, just the light, labored breathing of a person in terror.

He bit his lip somewhat anxiously, and slowly cracked an eye open to look ahead and see the criminal fearfully shaking in the figure's hold, his face expressing just how terrified he was. The figure had missed on purpose, judging by the hole in the wall behind the geezer.

Dick watched quietly as the shadowed person leaned closer to his captive as a way of intimidating them,"That was a warning shot. Now, get lost."

The old man seemed to gulp and frantically nodded, scrambling up to his feet and running out of the alleyway when the figure threw him at the ground.

Dick quirked a brow and stepped aside as the criminal rushed past him in an attempt to escape.

The figure stepped forward into the limelight when he looked back, and Dick couldn't help but smile when he recognized the familiar red helmet hiding his brother's face,"Hey, Jay."

"Hey, Dickie-bird...You look like shit."

"I know."

 


	9. Chapter 9

"What do you mean you don't know _where_ he is?" Wally asked impatiently, the phone pressed to his ear as he stood looking out the window of their apartment' living room, fingers tapping on the windowsill in a nervous motion.

"He left the manor after Bruce came home. I assumed he didn't want me to follow and went back to your apartment. Have you tried calling his cell?"

"Yes," Wally muttered as he dug his hand into his pocket to retrieve Dick's discarded smartphone,"He left his phone on his nightstand this morning."

"...I'm sorry. I should've gone after him."

Wally sighed and turned away from the window,"It's not your fault, Tim. I'll call you when I find him."

With that, he moves the device away from his ear and pressed the end call button, followed by a faint beep before Tim's caller ID disappeared.

The ginger-haired speedster's head snapped up when there was an unexpected, harsh knock on the door.

"Dick!" His eyes widened and he sped over, quickly placing a hand on the wooden doorknob to open it for the blue bird he thought would be waiting outside.

He, however, was surprised when he swung the door open to see a red helmet staring back at him,"Jason...? What-"

"I think you lost this."

Wally blinked as the former Robin stepped aside to reveal the person he had been looking for. Dick was staring at the ground with a guilt-ridden expression, unconsciously clutching at the brown leather jacket Jason had reluctantly tossed at him earlier after getting sick of his constant chattering teeth in the cold air outside.

Wally stared at his best friend silently. This scene kinda made it look like Dick was a reckless teenager caught and brought home by a friend of his parents' after his curfew. A teenager that currently looked so sorry that it made his heart ache.

"Are you okay?" He asked after a moment of tense silence.

"I didn't try anything, if that's what you're asking." Dick pulled the jacket off his shoulders and handed it back to Jason before brushing past Wally to get inside.

"...What's he talking about?"

Wally glanced up when Jason spoke,"He didn't tell you?"

The anti-hero reached up to remove the red helmet from his head, running a hand through his hair to fix it up a bit afterwards. He quirked a brow at the green-eyed speedster,"Tell me what? I found him with a gun pressed to his head in an alleyway, saved his sorry ass, then brought him here. He said he's living here because of money problems?"

Wally's eyes stretched wide when he heard about Dick having had a gun pressed to his head,"You found him trying to _shoot_ himself?" The alarm in his voice was evident. This only worked to confuse Jason more.

"What? No! There was this asshole..." He narrowed his eyes at Wally, slowly seeming to catch on,"Why would you assume that?"

The retired hero lifted a hand to rub at his nape, green eyes travelling to the ground when they heard Dick's bedroom door slamming shut from down the hall,"When was the last time you saw Dick? Before tonight, that is."

"I don't know. Three months ago, maybe? Haven't seen him out in the world of crime much since the last time we met at the docks."

"Yeah, he's been...out of it for a while. I don't think he's gonna put the Nightwing suit on again any time soon."

"What do you mean? What did I miss?" Red Hood berated impatiently, waiting for the speedster to stop stalling and tell him what the problem was.

"He tried to commit suicide three days ago..." Wally knew just what to do before Jason acted, and stepped aside when the former Robin stormed into the apartment, helmet being thrown onto the kitchen counter before he stomped down the hall to Dick's bedroom.

Artemis curiously stuck her blonde head out of the bathroom doorway when the loud footsteps caught her attention. She was about to yell at the person walking down the hall, when Wally shook his head and waved her off.

She raised an eyebrow, but complied and shut the bathroom door again to go back to doing whatever she had been doing before the ruckus disturbed her.

Wally visibly flinched when Jason lifted a gloved hand to start banging on Dick's bedroom door, his expression fumed and dangerous-looking,"Open the damn door, moron."

The ginger thought about stepping in to stop Jason from doing anything irrational, but didn't get the time to act on it when the door opened and the second Robin was granted access.

He watched as the man forced his way into the room and shut the door again. Fear gripped Wally's heart. Maybe telling Jason wasn't such a good idea?

He moved forward to put his hand on the doorknob, intending on going inside and stopping Red Hood from saying or doing something he might regret. His intent on doing so, however, was halted when no noise came from inside the room once the door was firmly shut.

He furrowed his brows in confusion. Did they already kill each other? He had expected yelling and arguing to insue once Jason was inside.

He bit his lip and slowly turned the doorknob when it stayed completely silent. He perked up, and stopped midway of turning the knob, when he heard soft whimpering filtering through the wooden barrier blocking his vision of the bedroom. It was Dick. The sound of his best friend crying was a sound he could not easily forget, and recognized instantly whenever he heard it.

Wally silently turned the knob and opened the door by only a sliver, enough for him to peak inside and see what was going on.

The sight he was met with, was one he had not expected at all.

The two brothers were both seated on the side of Richard's bed. Dick was leaning against the other Robin's form, his head pressed firmly into his chest, his shoulders shaking.

Jason was seemingly doing his best to comfort the older vigilante, having one hand on the blue bird's back, and using the other to bury his fingers in the dark locks covering Dick's head,"If you die, I'll kill you...you stupid idiot."

 


	10. Chapter 10

The soft sound of accelerated typing could be heard in the Batcave as gloved fingers glided over marked keys in a fluid motion. 

Damian impatiently tapped his fingers on the back of Batman's chair as the billionaire flipped through folders on the computer screen faster than he could read what was inside them,"Father."

He got no answer from the person occupying the chair he was leaning against from behind. His arms encircled around the backrest as Bruce leaned forward in his seat to get a closer look at the file he had just opened on the Batcomputer's screen. Damian sighed. He'd been standing here, trying to get the man's attention for the last ten minutes, and had made no progress in doing so at all.

" _Father_." He repeated, voice growing irritated and low. His eyes narrowed when he got no response,"You cannot ignore me forever."

Bruce merely sat back in his seat and continued typing away at the keyboard laid beneath his fingers, his expression baring no emotion as he responded,"I said no, Damian. End of discussion."

The assassin's grip on the back of the seat tightened considerably,"Father-"

"C'mon, Bruce." Tim interrupted as he entered the cave,"We're inviting Dick over for dinner, but he won't come knowing you don't want him here."

Damian threw a glare at the third Robin when he was cut off,"I told you I would handle this, Drake."

Tim ignored the boy and walked up to the side of Batman's chair, expression earnest as he addressed the man again,"Please, Bruce. You have no idea how much this would mean to him. This is your chance to fix things-"

"I don't need to fix anything." Came the vigilante's cold response, his typing halting for a moment,"Invite him over for dinner if you want. I don't have any objections."

Damian perked up at this and let go of the man's chair, stepping back with a quirked brow,"You don't mind Grayson coming over?"

"No."

Tim bit his lip, seeming skeptical,"You've had a problem with Dick visiting the manor for the last year. He can't even access the Batcave via Zeta tube anymore because you removed his Zeta code from the exceptions list. What's the catch?"

"I won't be attending." A loud squeak sounded as Batman pushed his chair back and stood up, walking over to a raised platform that bared the Batmobile on the other side of the dimly-lit cave.

Damian shook his head and plopped down in the chair as soon as his father stood up. Tim ran after the Dark Knight when he heard the vehicle unlock,"Bruce, wait-"

He cut himself off, realizing it was a futile feat as he watched the man enter the Batmobile,"He really needs this..."

His words fell on deaf ears and a loud whirring sound echoed through the cave as the vehicle took off. Tim sighed,"What now...?"

* * *

"Clark, hand me the file on the counter over there."

Superman quit stirring the hot beverage he had prepared for himself, and tossed the spoon into the sink before sipping at his drink. He grabbed the discarded file from the marble counter and walked over to where Batman was hunched over the coffee table, scanning through various papers seemingly at the same time.

"You know the lounge area is for relaxing, right?" The kryptonian commented when the file was removed from his hands. He sipped at the mug he was holding, and leaned over the cowled vigilante's shoulder to catch a glimpse at the papers' contents,"Put those down, will you?"

"I've got work to do." His reply was curt and dismissive as he set the paper down to pick up the file.

"That seems to always be the case..."

Silence engulfed the lounge for a minute or so, the only disturbance being the sound of papers scuffling every now and then. Batman visibly tensed when he felt a large hand being firmly placed on his shoulder,"You know, Bruce...keeping your mind busy with unnecessary work isn't the best way to deal with problems. If you ever need to talk-"

"What are you talking about?" Batman turned his head to raise an eyebrow at the kryptonian.

Superman blinked at the response, but shook his head,"Connor told me about what happened. I'm serious, if you need-"

"Clark." Batman growled, obviously getting irritated.

Superman sighed and removed his hand from the billionaire's shoulder. He set his mug down on the counter and moved to start preparing a cup of coffee,"No sugar, right?"

Bruce merely grunted in response before the sound of papers scuffling could be heard again.

The kryptonian took that as a positive response and switched the kettle on,"How's he doing...?"

The scuffling halted again, and a long minute passed before he received a reply,"...Who?"

Superman retrieved a tablespoon from the drawer under the microwave and started stirring the coffee after he poured the boiling water into the cup,"Dick."

He tapped the spoon on the side of the mug before tossing it into the sink with the other one and walking over to the other man. He handed the coffee to the vigilante, missing the confused expression adorning the billionaire's face,"He's out of the hospital now, isn't he?"

Bruce accepted the mug, his brows furrowed,"Why was he in the hospital?"

"You know, they had to pump his stomach because of-" Superman's eyes widened in realization,"You...don't know, do you?"

"Know what?" Batman set the cup firmly down on the glass coffee table and stood up,"What happened to Dick?"

"I thought they told-"

" _Clark_."

"...He tried to overdose on sleeping pills four days ago."

 


	11. Chapter 11

Dick refrained from impatiently tapping his fingertips on the metal railing of the chair he sat in as he kept his eyes trained on the floor of the apartment living space, not really acknowledging the other presence in the room. He'd been silent ever since the session started, and the therapist's patient stare was starting to make him uncomfortable.

After another minute of silence, the vigilante hesitantly looked up to meet the middle-aged woman's gaze,"So..."

"How have you been holding up, Mr. Grayson?"

Blue eyes followed the rhythmic tapping of the woman's pen on the edge of her clipboard for another quiet moment,"I've been...well."

"That's not what the reports from Mr. Wallace state. I understand you have had three breakdowns in the last four days."

Deep, hazel-brown eyes locked gazes with cerulean blue ones, and briefly, Dick felt like they were staring right into his soul. He immediately glanced elsewhere,"I don't see why this is necessary."

"I am here to help you find a reason to want to keep living, Mr. Grayson."

"I haven't tried to commit suicide again."

"I know, but that doesn't mean you won't change your mind."

"I won't." Dick lifted his head to observe the older woman again when she clicked her pen and wrote something down on the clipboard. God, he hated it when they did that.

She met his eyes again after finishing whatever she had written down,"Why?"

"...Why?" Dick quirked an eyebrow.

"Why do you think you're not gonna try it again?"

"Well, I..." The former Robin went silent when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He furrowed his brows slightly and leaned forward in the seat before reaching into his back-pocket to retrieve the cellular device. He held it up in front of his face, reading the caller ID: Tim Drake.

He shifted on the chair's cushion before pressing the 'Forward call' button and setting the phone down on the glass coffee table,"Sorry about that."

"It's quite alright. You were saying?"

"I was-" They were interrupted when the phone started loudly vibrating again. Dick sighed and reached out to take the phone from the coffee table,"May I take this?"

The ginger-haired woman sighed heavily before setting her clipboard down on her lap. She waved her hand dismissively before moving to stand up,"Sure, take your time. We will continue tomorrow."

Dick waited until the therapist left through the front door before pressing the 'Accept call' button and holding the cellphone up to his ear,"Tim-"

_"Grayson! How dare you try to end your life without asking my permisson first?! I will behead you for this! You stupid imbecile! I'll cut your-"_

Dick's shoulders tensed when he heard a scuffling noise on the other end and Damian's rant was cut of,"Little D...?"

A few seconds of silence passed before Tim's voice filtered through the speaker, _"Dick? Uh, yeah, he knows..."_

The raven-haired vigilante sighed before lifting a hand to tiredly run his fingers through his hair,"Yeah, I picked up on that...why did you tell him?"

_"I didn't."_

"Who did?" He heard muffled yelling in the background and more scuffling, most likely Damian trying to take the phone from the third Robin. It took about another half a minute before he got a reply.

_"I'm sorry, Dick. Bruce told him that you-"_

"Bruce _knows_?" Dick felt his heart skip a beat, and not in the good way. A raspy breath left his lips, like the air had been sucked from his lungs, and he felt his grip on the phone loosen a bit.

_"Yes, but Dick-"_

The third Robin was cut off mid-sentence when Richard's thumb slid over the 'End call' button by accident. He stood up from the chair, letting his phone slip from his slender fingers. The thud following the device's decent didn't seem to phase the man at all as he walked over to the window.

He leaned forward and rested his hands on the windowsill, gripping the wooden, white surface with all his might. Cerulean eyes glazed over with tears as he stared out at the overcast sky outside, struggling to keep his scrambled emotions under control.

His hope of getting rid of the strain on his relationship with Bruce had been shot down in mere seconds. There's no way the older man would accept him back into his life now. Not after this.

Dick visibly flinched when the phone started vibrating again, the timber floor making the sound evident and loud.

He breathed in deeply through his nose, trying hard to calm his racing heart before turning to go pick the phone up from the floor, not paying any mind to the slightly cracked screen.

He pressed the green button and held the cellular device up to his ear,"He.." His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat,"..Hello?"

_"Dick. What happened? You hung up."_ Tim's voice was laced with concern.

"No...nothing happened. I dropped the phone. Sorry..."

A sigh came from the other side of the line, _"Look. I know you're freaked out about Bruce finding out-"_

"Tim. You didn't tell him, did you..?"

_"Of course not. I wouldn't do that to you. Superman did it by accident."_

"The _league_ knows?"

_"We forgot to tell the team to keep it to themselves. I'm sorry, 'Wing."_

Dick bit his lip harshly, somehow not making himself bleed,"I guess that dinner at the manor is called off, right?"

_"Actually..Bruce wants you to come over. Tonight."_

"Tonight?" He felt an anxious knot forming in his stomach,"Why?"

_"I don't know."_

"Did he seem angry when he said it..?"

_"Well-"_

"Please don't lie to try to make me feel better, Tim."

_"...I'm not. Honestly, he looked upset, but he didn't seem angry. Will you please just come over tonight?"_

"...I don't know."

_"Please?"_

 


	12. Chapter 12

He could evidently hear his own heart beating in his ears as he stood in front of an all-too familiar double-door, his hand shakily pressed against the wooden surface. He couldn't fathom how exactly he'd willed himself into coming here.

 _'Argh..this is a bad idea.'_ He retracted his hand back to his side, and turned on his heels to walk back down the concrete steps at a sluggish pace, dragging his fingers through his black locks.

He froze in place on the third step from the top when a loud creak sounded. His shoulders lifted and he visibiy tensed, _'Oh no...'_

"Dick!"

He slowly turned in place to see the third Robin standing in the large doorway, a bright smile spread across his face as he waved at his elder brother.

Dick bit his lip harshly before his shoulders slacked and he turned to saunter back up the staircase. Tim reached out to gingerly take hold of the vigilante's wrist, carefully leading him inside,"You okay?"

"Define ' _okay_ '."

A light nod of understanding,"If you really don't want to do this..."

"I'm already here, aren't I?"

Tim sighed softly, and slowly let go of Dick's wrist as they walked towards the living room,"I'll be right here, 'Wing."

"Grayson!"

Dick looked up just in time to see a tiny assassin charging at him from the living room entryway. He drew in a sharp breath and reflexily raised his arms to defend himself from the anticipated barrage of punches, but was surprised to instead feel thin arms wrapping themselves around his waist. It's wasn't gentle, oh the contrare, the little boy had an iron grip on his middle-section, but it wasn't so tight as to physically hurt him.

"You imbecile..."

Dick bit his lip lightly and lifted one hand to hesitantly rub Damian's back, afraid the boy would snap at any sudden touches. Thankfully, the small assassin didn't react much to the action. He merely tightened his grip on the original Robin's waist.

"Dami...I'm sor-"

"Don't you dare apologise."

Dick faintly flinched at the boy's words, confusion marring his features as he glanced down to meet narrowed eyes,"But I-"

"Just shut up."

He immediately sealed his lips shut, his hand fisting the boy's black sweatshirt.

Damian pressed his forehead against Dick's chest, breaking their locked gazes in an effort to hide his watering lids from the older man,"I...value your existence, Grayson."

Dick's heart swelled at the child's cracking voice, his fingers digging into the soft material of his shirt,"That's...the nicest thing you've ever said to me, Dami."

Damian's lips quirked up into a faint smirk when he felt the vigilante's chest rumbling with laughter,"I mean it."

The chuckling slowly died down, and Tim took this as a que to slip into the kitchen to their right, not wanting to interrupt. Dick moved one hand up and buried his slender fingers in the boy's thick strands after a moment of silence, taking this chance to lean down and press his lips to the top of his head, something the assassin would have killed him for if he'd done it at a different time. Right now though, the boy merely tensed in response,"Don't push it, Grayson."

"Fine fine," He smiled faintly, using his fingers to rake the knots out of Damian's hair.

The little assassin allowed the action, for the time being,"Why did you do it?"

"Do what?" He knew what Damian meant, but was too absent-minded to respond properly.

"Try to end your life." Damian lifted his head again, halting Dick's raking and allowing him to see the tears trying to push past his lids. He grasped the vigilante's waist as tight as he could.

"I..." Dick bit his lip, cerulean eyes observing as a single tear managed to slip past Damian's thick lashes. He removed his hand from the dark locks and used his thumb to wipe the salty drop of water away, unable to ignore the guilt bubbling up in his chest,"You won't understand, Little D."

Damian brushed his brother's hand off, unwrapping one arm from the man's waist in order to rub at his tearful eyes, sniffing very softly before responding,"I am not a child-"

"You technically are-"

"Don't patronize me." He snapped, pulling back from him completely, now using both hands to wipe at his dark eyes,"If you die, I'll...I'll..." He trailed off, seeming unsure of how to continue.

"Don't worry, Dami," Dick placed a hand on the child's shoulder, giving him a reassuring squeeze,"I'm not going anywhere any time soon."

"I'll find you and behead you if you try _anything_ like this again, understand?"

"Understood, _sir_."

A light sniff sounded again, and Damian turned around just as Tim came back, covering his face with his hands to hide the fact that he'd been crying. Dick gave his shoulder one last squeeze before pulling away and glancing in Tim's general direction.

The third Robin waved him over to the kitchen. He was about to head towards the waving boy, when Bruce appeared in the doorway behind Tim, his expression grim and firm.

He stopped in his tracks, and resisted the urge to bolt for the open exit,"Um.." His eyes shifted down to the ground, and his fingers twirled around each other nervously,"Hey Bruce..."

 


	13. Chapter 13

Yet again, an awkward and suffocating silence had covered the room. The same silence that had driven Dick out of the house mere days before.

The blue-eyed bird fidgeted in place, shifting his weight from foot to foot as a darker shade of blue practically stared him down again.

Dick could feel Damian's presence close behind him, a small hand taking its place on his back. His muscles slacked a bit at the reassuring contact, and he hesitantly lifted his head to meet Bruce's gaze, only now noticing that his stare wasn't as heated as it had been the last time.

Bruce had his lips partially parted, looking like he wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words.

After half a minute of fidgeting, Dick couldn't take the suspense anymore,"I...this was a bad idea." The blue bird turned on his heels and made a B-line for the front door, footsteps echoing through the main hall as he walked at quick pace.

"Dick."

He halted in the doorway, his hand resting on the knob. He clenched his right fist, and willed himself into glancing back, for a mere moment, just to lock eyes with his former mentor, who was now standing a short distance behind him.

He bit his lip harshly and turned his head back, glaring at the door instead,"...I'm not in the mood for an argument, Bruce."

"I don't want to argue with you, Dick."

"Why else would you want me here if not to yell at me?" Dick's voice was small, like he was kind of hoping the man wouldn't hear him.

He jerked in surprise, and nearly gasped when he felt a firm hand suddenly gripping his shoulder. He gripped the knob tighter, feeling his heartbeat hammering in his ribcage out of anxiousness.

"Look at me." The man's tone was firm, but not harsh. Richard shifted a bit, and let go of the doorknob before turning around to face him, brushing the calloused hand off his shoulder,"I know I'm pathetic, I know I let you down, and I know I'm weak in your eyes. You don't need to remind me, Bruce."

Bruce's hand fell back to his side after Dick brushed it off. He clenched his fists tightly,"I didn't invite you over to break you down, Dick."

"You sure? Because it really seems like something you would do." Dick immediately stopped talking when he noticed how he was raising his voice. He hadn't realized how angry he sounded,"Sorry..." His gaze shifted down to the ground as Bruce took hold of his shoulders again.

The multi-billionaire kept a tight grip on his son, making an effort not to press so tight as to leave bruises,"Dickie..."

He felt the boy's shoulders tense at the nickname, a nickname he hadn't used in many years. In fact, the last time he remembered saying the word was when the first Boy Wonder ended up in a life-or-dead situation at the age of fourteen.

Richard hesitantly lifted his head to look at Bruce, brows furrowed,"Y..." He let go of a breath he didn't know he was holding,"Yeah?"

Bruce's grip tightened a bit, and Dick winced, making the man let go. He looked like he was still struggling to find words to say.

Richard's lips quirked up into a faint, easy smile, a bit of light humor returning to his voice as he tried to lighten the mood, mostly for himself and his anxiety,"You're quiet when you're Batman, but never speechless."

Bruce's frown shifted upwards a bit, and Dick resisted the urge to sigh in relief. He bit his lip again,"Look, I know it's your thing, but can you please just stop being an emotionless cinderblock for one second and say something?"

Another moment of silence passed, the only sound being the tapping of Alfred's shoes as he entered to watch with Tim and Damian, then Bruce decided to give the blue-eyed bird a heart attack by moving forward too fast and capturing him in a tight embrace.

Dick almost squealed like a little girl, whether it was out of excitement or fright, he didn't know. The raven-haired acrobat froze in place for a moment, unsure of what to do.

"Forgive me, Dick." Came his mentor's deep voice, the tone unusually soft and apologetic. 

His eyes widened a bit, and he hesitantly hooked his own toned arms around his father's middle, pressing his head into the man's shoulder. as he spoke,"You're not angry?"

"Not with you." He felt the Caped Crusader's grip tighten considerably,"I'm the one who screwed up at being a parent, I'm sorry. I don't know what i would've done if you'd taken your own life, Dick." The words felt foreign on his tongue, but he said it, and that was enough for Dick's eyes to start watering on their own. 

Before he could get a grasp on his emotions and figure out how he felt about this, a light sob wracked the blue-bird's frame, hands harshly grabbing onto Bruce's shirt as his head dug into the crook of his neck. Such close contact was normally uncomfortable or awkward for the Dark Knight, but he made certain exceptions when it came to family, or at least, he used to.

The other three occupants of the room took a few steps closer, Damian moving in to squeeze his small being in between the two grown men without asking for an invite.

Dick almost let out a choked laugh as the boy's thin arms wrapped around his waist. He moved back a bit to avoid pressing the child against his mentor, lest he suffocate.

he unhooked one arm from Batman's middle to ruffle Damian's hair, his fingers weaving in between the dark locks. As soon as he felt Bruce's grip loosen, he used his other hand to reach up and wipe at his eyes, taking a deep breath to stop himself from crying again. Damn, lately he hadn't had control over his emotions at all.

The billionaire stepped back and let go of the young vigilante, being ready in case he decided to collapse. Damian acted as his brother's standing support when the man pulled away. Bruce looked like he was about to open his mouth to say something else, but Dick's had enough of people dragging out their apologies lately. Just a simple, sincere and genuine _I'm sorry_ is enough. He allowed his lips to tilt up into a smile, cutting Bruce off before he could speak,"So...what's for dinner?"

"Master Dick, if you'd like to know, I'd suggest heading to the dining room immediately, before it gets cold."

At this, Tim almost immediately sprinted off towards the dining room. Damian saw this and ripped himself away from his brother, quickly turning on his heels to dash off in the same direction,"I'm eating first, Drake!"

Bruce watched the boys leave with Alfred in tow before turning back to face his ward,"Dick, listen..."

"Don't bother, Bruce." The acrobat shifted to look at his mentor, expression light and somewhat cheerful-looking,"We can talk it out later, but right now..." He glanced back to the doorway his little brothers left through,"Can we just...act like nothing ever happened between us? You know, pretend that we're a _normal_ family just having dinner, a normal family with normal lives, and normal problems, just for tonight."

"Dick-"

"Please?"

"...this conversation isn't over."

"I know. It's just...postponed."

A moment of silence passed before Bruce nodded and slung an arm around his son's shoulders,"C'mon then, if we don't go eat now, there'll be no food left once we get there."

Dick laughed lightly and nudged the older man in the side as they sauntered into the dining room.

Whilst the rest were getting food, he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He quickly fished the cellular device out of his jeans before swiping at the cracked screen to unlock it. He pulled down the notification bar and read the text:

**3 Messages from Jaybird**

_'How'd it go?'_

_'I've got my finger on the trigger.'_

_'Can I shoot?'_

He resisted the urge to laugh out loud before tapping the reply button:

_'It went fine. I told you to leave the gun behind.'_

He glanced up at the window on the other side of the room. The other members of the batfamily hadn't realized it yet, but a certain red-hooded figure was standing outside, gun propped up against the window as he stared down at his phone:

_'Hey, if he fucked up again, I was gonna make sure he paid for it.'_

Alfred raised a suspicious brow when he noticed Dick smiling at his screen like he was trying to do a bad impression of the Joker:

_'Lower the gun, Jay.'_

The barrel of the weapon disappeared from the fogged up window:

_'...fine. See you at home, Dickiebird. Call me if shit happens.'_

Dick slipped the device back into his pocket before taking a seat next to Damian, ignoring the questioning look he got from Alfred. Barely a minute had passed before Tim tried to snatch a piece of bread from the demon spawn's plate, resulting in a loud curse before food was thrown. Scolding ensued as soon as the elderly butler noticed, and Bruce merely sat back to watch in passive silence, cup of coffee already in hand. For the first time in a long time Dick felt fully at home again, and he finally allowed himself to think that maybe...just maybe, everything would be okay.

**_The End...For Now._ **

 


End file.
